Crossroads
by Baelzilnea
Summary: "I ain't gonna let nothin' happen to you." He said softly, surprising them both as he looked her directly in the eyes. "I'll always come for you, and I will always find you, no matter where we end up." He made her a promise in the funeral home that night, after she is kidnapped he has to live up to his promise...or will she surprise them both?
1. Crossroads

**A/N: So this is my first official big kid story. I tried to keep them both as in character as possible, but even Daryl has emotions. Please enjoy!**

* * *

_"You're gonna miss me so bad when I'm gone, Daryl Dixon" _

He could hear her words echoing in his head as he ran down the middle of the road. He couldn't breathe, sweat was dripping in his eyes so he couldn't see, but none of that registered in his brain as he charged on.

_"You're going to miss me so bad when I'm gone."_

He ran on, his singular purpose for continuing was to find her, to get to her before something horrible happened to her. Terrible images flew through his head,he saw her at the mercy of men, lust sparkling in their eyes as she cowered before them; he saw her raped and murdered and then just left somewhere where he could never find her;he saw her as a walker, eyes dead and smile gone, replaced by a hungry snarling maw.

_"I know you look at me and see another dead girl"_

He thought of Sophia, of his all consuming need to find her and he thought of how he failed her. He couldn't fail Beth. He needs her, he refused to admit it to himself, or to her, but now that doesn't matter...he needs her.

She is his light.

He kept running.

* * *

Beth looked around the small car interior, trying to surreptitiously find a way out. She tried to avoid the gaze of the man in the front passenger seat, turned all the way around, just to watch her. He was missing three of his front teeth and had scratch marks down the side of his face. She carefully fingered the hilt of the small knife she had hidden in her boot. The men who had taken her were too lazy or stupid to search her for weapons. She closed her eyes and remembered when Daryl had taught her to use it.

_"Get it in their eye if you can, Girl, or if its a live one, stick em anywhere they'll bleed." He was standing behind her, one hand on her hip, forcing her to step forward as her hand wrapped in his brought the knife down into the eye socket of a walker trapped on the edge of a fence. _

_She turned and threw her arms around his neck. _

_"Damn Girl, you like to took my ear off, watch where yer wavin' that thing." He said gruffly, not quite returning her embrace. She pulled away and grinned up at him. _

_"Thank you!" She chirped, high on the feeling that came with her first close up kill, and the way his hands felt on her body._

_He looked away from her, cheeks reddening._

_"T'wernt nothin'"_

She inhaled deeply, and looked at the leering man in front of her. The car came to a stop on the side of the road and Toothless unbuckled his seat belt. He reached for her and grabbed her wrist. He jerked her toward him and loomed over her as the driver, a small weasel-like man, let out a squeaky breathless chuckle.

_"Stick 'em anywhere they'll bleed." _

In one fluid motion she pulled the knife from her boot and stabbed it deep into Toothless's neck. He made a gasp that turned into a gurgle, and he slumped back, pulling himself off her blade with a slurping sound.

She looked toward Weasel-Face. He was staring incredulously at his partner.

"You wanna live?" she asked softly, in what she hoped was a menacing voice. He nodded, pale. "Let. Me. Go." She said. The locks on the car doors clicked, and Beth slid out the door swiftly, just as Toothless's hand started to twitch. She slammed the door and heard Weasel-Face's squeaky scream as Toothless's remaining teeth took a chunk out of his arm.

So she ran.

* * *

Daryl came to a crossroads. He slowed to a stop and looked in each direction helplessly. There was no sign of her or where the car had gone. He sank to his knees in the middle of the intersection and dropped his chin to his chest.

He had promised to protect her. He had told her that he wouldn't let anything happen to her.

Once again he had failed, and the last person that he loved was gone.

Once again Daryl Dixon was alone.

* * *

She ran in the direction they came from, holding her bloody knife and hoping against hope that Daryl Dixon was still alive and that he was coming for her. She remembered his shy smile, and the sideways glance he had thrown her the night before as they talked about what they were going to do next.

_"Do you think we should go back to the prison?" She asked._

_"Only if yer lookin' to make a love match with a walker." He replied snidely. _

_"You plannin' on turning zombie on me Dixon?" She sassed. His eyes widened a bit and he looked from the stick he was whittling to where she sat tinkering on the piano. He looked back down and smiled a bit. _

_They sat in silence for a few minutes._

_"Daryl?"_

_He grunted in response._

_"Don't let me become one of them okay? If anything happens...just dont." She asked softly, face carefully turned away from him, softly hitting a note over and over. She jumped slightly in surprise when she felt Daryl settle his weight on the piano bench beside her. His large hand, warmer than she remembered, gently covered the one that kept hitting the note on the piano. She stopped pressing the note._

_"I ain't gonna let nothin' happen to you." He said softly, surprising them both as he looked her directly in the eyes. "I'll always come for you, and I will always find you, no matter where we end up." A tear ran down her cheek and she dashed it away with her other hand. _

_"Okay." She said softly. _

_"Play yer damn piano." He replied gruffly, not moving from his spot even when she flipped her hand upright, and entwined their fingers. _

Her breath was catching in her throat and her chest hurt. She was spurred on by the belief that he was running towards her just as fast as she was running for him. She crested a small dip in the road and came upon a crossroads. In the center of the intersection she saw a figure slumped down on its knees, hands over its face. She tightened her grip on the hilt of her knife and tried to calm her breathing. She stepped carefully toward the figure.

"Daryl?"She called softly.

* * *

"Daryl?"

He heard his name called. He dropped his hands from his face and whirled to face the voice.

Her hair was a holy mess. She had blood spattered on her face and clothes. Her chest was heaving and sweat poured off of her in rivers.

She had never been more beautiful.

"Beth." He murmured. He staggered toward her. "Beth!" He said louder.

"Daryl!" She cried, dropping her knife and throwing her arms around his neck, burrowing her head in the hollow of his shoulder. One of his hands found her waist, and the other her hair, pulling her close as he dropped to his knees again. He felt tears burning in his eyes and his throat as he struggled to school his emotions.

"You found me." She sobbed pulling back just enough to look him in the eyes. He almost laughed. His fingers brushed the tears off her cheeks and from her eyes.

"No darlin'." He managed. "This time you found me." She smiled a sopping wet smile up at him, and he found himself wrapping her hair around his fingers, tilting her head back and drawing her closer. His mouth hovered just above hers, and for a moment they breathed the same air.

He ignored the voice in the back of his head telling himself how wrong this was, that he was too old, too damaged to couple with her pure, joyful spirit.

Her hands cupped his face, he leaned in and brushed his lips softly against hers.

She slid her hands behind his head and pulled his face to hers. This kiss was hungry and desperate. Daryl swept his tongue lightly against her bottom lip and she opened her mouth for him. Her fingers were tight in his hair and she pressed her body closer to his. He felt her soft moan reverberate` through his body.

They broke away from each other gasping, but unwilling to let go. Beth smoothed the hair from his eyes and off of his forehead. She cupped his cheek in her hand and locked eyes with him.

He still held her in his lap, and as he gazed at her he became aware that they were in the middle of a road, in the woods, with dark coming fast upon them and no where to go.

"Beth," he said, "c'mon darlin' we gotta go." She reluctantly sat back off him, and he pulled them both to their feet. He grabbed the bags,slinging them over his shoulders, never releasing one of her hands.

They were both disgusting, exhausted, and tired. But they were together, and that was the only thing that mattered to either of them. Beth looked up at Daryl, and when she saw that he was looking down at her she grinned and squeezed his hand.

"Where are we going?" She asked him. He shook his head and looked toward the train tracks.

"Looks to be a tower up the tracks some way. Lets get there tonight and stay there, there may be supplies. We can figure the rest out tomorrow." She nodded and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Lets go then." She said, smiling up at him. "But next time I am not running unless you run with me." He looked down at her, nodded once and pulled her toward the tracks.

"How'd you get away anyway?" He asked her. She laughed out loud.

"Stuck em' where he'd bleed." She said sweetly.

* * *

**A/N: And that's a wrap...I guess ya'll will tell me if you want some more of this story...I have a story line in mind but I dont know if I want to write it down if no one is going to read it...i guess its a vanity thing. Anyways, Let me know if you liked it, let me know if you hated it it, ya'know what have you!**

_**3Bae**_


	2. Crossbowman

**A/N: Quick thank you to the people who made my day with their reviews! This chapter is for you!**

**This chapter is to be a short character introspective for my sweet Daryl. Its going to explore his mind as he walks down the train tracks with Beth, and provide a little of the back story that I dreamed up for him. Its also really going to explore his intense aversion to touch, and how Beth has already begun to change him a little. So My goal is for it to be really sweet with a pinch of sorrow, but I hope you enjoy it anyways.**

* * *

He was exhausted and hungry and he couldn't wait to fall into a quiet, safe space and sleep for ten years.

So it was a little funny that all he could think about was kissing Beth again.

It was a little uncomfortable for Daryl, that she was holding his hand. Under no circumstances did he like to be touched. He had a bad history with touching. The softest touches he had received were the drunken slaps his mother administered after she had had so much to drink that she couldn't stand up straight.

There had been worse touches. His father, beat him every day for the majority of his life. His back and his shoulders were marred by scars that were both deep and shallow, but which were all painful burdens to bear.

And then there were the invisible scars left by his brothers words, and by the way his uncle touched him when no one else was around.

It really is no wonder that he struggled to accept and understand physical affection. He remembered the time that Andrea shot him and he was laid up in bed, and Carol kissed him on the forehead. He didn't know how to react, so he didn't.

Much to everyone's surprise, that is, if they were to ever find out, Daryl's experience with women was virtually nonexistent. It amounted to the one time that he managed to get a girl naked, and then after a little bit of awkward fumbling that didn't achieve anything he got up and walked away. He never heard the end of that one courtesy of his loving brother, Merle.

After that he never really wanted to touch a woman, due to the mortifying nature of his one and only other experience, and the fact that he found it hard to risk his heart for anyone.

His heart was still good, and kind. He genuinely and legitimately tried to be a better man than he was taught to be. He didn't always succeed because he found it hard to escape from the influence of his brother, as horrible and abusive as his brother was, Merle was all he had left.

So of course he did whatever Merle told him to do, or goaded him into doing, which combined with everyone else's perception of who he was based on his economic status and the fact that he didn't finish high school labeled him as a criminal, no better than his father or his brother.

It was a label he could never escape.

And then, luckily or unluckily, depending on the way he looked at it on any given day, the world went to shit.

He ended up in a group of people who looked at him, and judged him based on who they thought he was, until they peeled back some of his layers out of sheer necessity and saw the gold that was inside.

He just needed someone to see that he was a diamond in the rough.

He became a valued member of their little society, and he was able to be good and kind, even though he really didnt know how to go about it and sometimes it came out a little wonky. But he tried.

Then he met Beth and even though all his focus was on saving a little girl, he noticed that she was radiant. He noticed that she was pure in such a way that she almost glowed. Some of her purity had been damaged by the circumstances, she had been forced to kill and steal and scavenge. But that didn't change the simple fact.

Her touch was different.

Even when it was a tiny hand on his shoulder as she passed him a plate, or the softness of her fingers when she carefully cleaned the many wounds he gathered in the forests as he gathered food for his new family.

Her touch he didn't have to shy away from, because he knew in some deep central part of him that she would never hurt him, and that he was supposed to protect, and keep her.

Of course that was a difficult pill for him to swallow, given that he was almost twice her age and that made him feel even more sullied for having ever thought of her as a match for someone like him. He was afraid of her, afraid to let himself open up to her, even in a small way, because his heart had never been treated well and now it was a delicate fragile thing.

When the prison fell, he searched for her, only halfway realizing it. When he found her, he took her with him, to make sure she was safe as he could make her. As they spent time together, he found himself becoming more and more afraid of her, but also, falling for her in a way that was terrifying and exhilarating. He didn't know how to deal with these feelings, so he turned more and more inwards, until he became cold towards her, even as he tried to open up.

And then he lost her, and he felt as though his body was in ice water, even when he was running with sweat pouring down his body. He had given her his heart without realizing, and without knowing if she even wanted it.

When they had kissed, after finding each other again by some miracle that still astounded him, he not only desired her touch, but he was able to reciprocate. He wanted to melt into her, and when he felt her hands on his face, carding through his hair, he didn't feel afraid.

He felt cherished.

So now he walked hand in hand with a this woman who, as it turns out, is much less delicate than he thought she was, towards a distant train tower. They were walking towards an uncertain future, because of the walkers, other humans, and their own hearts.

But, Daryl decided, they would be fine, because this woman was the only person how had ever held his hand.

* * *

**A/N: So that ended up being a little longer than i intended, but i just so wanted to show Daryl to be someone more than the tough guy that you see everywhere else. In a lot of the other fanfics I've read he is 'experienced' and fearless and tough. But i just thought it would be interesting if he was afraid of something too. So yeah, I hope you enjoyed this, and if you didnt I am sorry! Please review and let me know either way!**

**Love and Guts,**

_**Baelz **_


	3. Crossties

**A/N: So okay I have the next several chapters pretty much mapped out, but you know that sometimes stories write themselves, so things may change. I am holding onto my idea of Daryl as being strong with an emotional side that he only reveals to certain people. Norman Reedus said something about Daryl that just stuck with me, and that I keep going back to in my head. He said "If Daryl falls in love with you he is going to love you for the rest of his life." Sure he was answering a question posed to him about Caryl, but this is fan-fiction and that means I can make it what I want to make it right? Anyways, I hope you like this next chapter!**

* * *

Beth wiped her bloody knife on the pants of the walker she killed. She was ready to fall over she was so exhausted. She looked to where Daryl was checking the ladder that led up into the train tower.

"It doesn't look like a walker or anythin' has climbed up here, but there might be one of them up there from the beginning." She nodded and he grabbed the ankles of the walker, dragging it into the bushes several feet away.

"What're you doin'?" She slurred a little. He glanced up at her, concern flashing on his face.

"We don't want anyone knowing that we are up there." He said.

"Right." She nodded, "Sorry." He walked back over to where she stood and ran his thumb under one of her eyes.

"You need to sleep. C'mon, lets get up there." He scooped up all the bags and tested the first rung of the ladder. He began climbing up as she muttered "You need sleep too." He hid his smile as he felt her start up the ladder behind him. Right before he opened the trap door on the bottom of the little cabin at the top he swung his crossbow forward so he could get to it easy, then he threw open the little door with a thump.

The room was darkening in the fading light of evening, but he could see that it was empty. he swung himself up into the room before leaning down and grabbing Beth under the arms, pulling her up much to her surprise. he pulled her against him and she settled into his embrace, closing the door with her foot. They stood there for a moment, looking at each other. She smiled at him and placed her hand on his cheek, leaning up to give him a quick kiss on the nose. The gesture surprised him, even though he knew that they were moving towards something more than friendship.

He reluctantly pulled away from her and began searching the little one room cabin in the sky. There was a desk in one corner, looking directly out the window that took over an entire wall. the rest of the room was mostly bare, with the exception of a hideous rug that took up most of the floor. Beth found a first aide kit, completely untouched in a box on the wall. In the little closet beside the desk, Daryl found a microwave, a mini-fridge, and a small bounty of spaghetti-o's.

"Mmmm," Beth hummed "Nothing like a nice cold can of spaghetti-o's to break up the monotony." Daryl made a face at her, and plopped down on the rug. He patted the spot beside him and Beth didn't hesitate to plop down next to him. She leaned her head against his shoulder as he used his knife to pop open the can. He handed her one of the little plastic spoons that he had found as well, and they both dug into the can. They ate in silence for a little while, too tired to talk much until Daryl broke the silence.

"So, what exactly happened?" He asked her "Did he-" He struggled to put his thought into words, having spent the entire day struggling with the horrible scenarios that kept going through his head. "Did he, you know, hurt you?" Beth smiled at him slightly, scooting just a bit closer.

"No." She felt his shoulders slump slightly as he exhaled. "They tried, and they failed. Simple as that."

"Can you start at the beginning?" He asked, desperate to understand what happened.

"Well after you yelled at me to run, I made it to the road, I thought you were right behind me. But you weren't, so I decided to go back to help you, but before I could this car drove up and this stupid guy yanks me in. They drive away, me screaming bloody murder in the back seat, and I-" She stopped and swallowed hard. "I could see you running after us." She yawned and Daryl put his arm around her and pulled him into his embrace setting the can and spoons aside. she tucked her head up under his chin and they sat there for another long moment.

"Anyways, they drove for a while and then they pulled over. One of them grabbed me and pushed me down on the seat. So I grabbed the knife you told me to keep in my boot and I stabbed him in the throat, I aimed for the carotid artery, cause you know it bleeds good...and he died really fast. The other guy was scared of me I guess, so he let me go. He is dead too though, because the guy I-" She stopped and took a deep breath. "The guy I killed turned and I could hear him screaming when I ran away. And then I ran until I found you." She stopped and was quiet. She spoke with a detached calmness that would have fooled Daryl, if he hadn't had his arms wrapped around her in such a way that he could feel her heart racing against his wrist. He didn't know what to say, so he kissed her hair and stayed quiet.

After a few minutes he thought she had fallen asleep so he was surprised when she spoke again in a voice so quiet he almost missed it.

"Have you killed people?"

"Yes" He murmured.

"Were you in danger?"

"Yes, and people I cared for."

"Do you ever hurt over it?" His heart went out to this fragile girl in his arms.

"Sometimes," He whispered, "But listen to me Beth," He pulled back a little and tilted her face towards his, "When you killed that man today, you did what needed to be done, to save your life, and to save the lives of other girls who would have been victims of his as well. I am proud of you, for being able to defend yourself, and I am so, so glad that you made it back to me." She closed her eyes and a few tears slipped out. He wiped them away with the pad of his thumbs. "Do you understand?" He asked.

"Yes" She replied.

He kissed her softly, slowly becoming more at ease with being physically affectionate with her.

Of course he still worried about what the other people from their group would say, if they ever found them, but he had decided at some point while he was running, sometime between midnight and early morning to be specific, that he would not let himself be separated from her anymore. He had only ever loved three people in his life. He loved his mother, even though she beat him and turned a blind eye to the other horrific abuses rained down upon him by his family. Really, what little boy doesn't love his mother? He loved Merle, bastard that he was, he was the only person who had ever loved Daryl, even if it was a hateful twisted kind of love, he was the only person who had ever, sort of, stood by him.

And now he loves Beth.

So he wouldn't let his insecurity and worry keep him from her, hell, he wouldn't let anything or anyone keep him from her. So he kissed her gently, held her while she cried herself to sleep, and then fell asleep himself.

* * *

It was the dog barking that woke him up.

It was such a strange sound nowadays. Most animals had fallen prey to the walkers, and dogs were rare. It brought back memories of the night before, when the dog distracted him and caused the walkers to ambush them. He shifted slightly, trying to listen for anything else. His hunters ears were attuned to the sounds of the forest, he was waiting to hear anything out of place.

The dog barked again, closer now.

Beth sat up like a shot, turning to look at him with wide eyes. He put a finger over her lips to stop her speaking. He could hear voices in the distance. He stood quietly, walking to the window and peeking out.

They had torches, and even in the darkness he could make out three distinct shapes and a little white dog. He stilled his breathing and tried to hear through the glass.

"What about up there?" Said a big fat guy, Fatso, Daryl decided.

"Naw," said another, "Melvin nosed righ' past it, she mus' be headed thattaway." He pointed in the opposite direction. Daryl smirked a bit. Bumblebrains.

"Man, I caint wait to fin' her. Blondes jus' do it fo me knomsayin?" The other two men laughed uproariously. Daryl gritted his teeth and looked around for his crossbow. Beth was right beside him, holding his bow and shaking her head at him. He was surprised that he didnt hear her approach, but he pushed that thought away as the third guy opened his mouth.

"Well I will have to go last," He laughed meanly "when I'm done with her there wont be much left for you guys." Shithead. The other boys hooted with laughter. Daryl didnt realize he had a death grip on the window sill until Beth's small hand softly loosened it, opting to hold it instead.

Daryl wanted to kill them. He wanted to take his crossbow and shoot Fatso and Bumblebrains, and then he wanted to use it to slowly pummel Shithead to death, wait until he came back and then kill him again, yes that sounded quite nice. He started to stand, but stopped when Beth began to tug on his hand hard. He looked at her and saw her pointing at something in the distance. He squatted back down beside her, and looked in the direction her finger pointed. There, maybe a mile away were five more torches, walking towards their little tower and the three stooges below.

"Ya'll I don' see her, an' I reckon we won' fin' her tonigh'." said Bumblebrains. "We are s'posed ta be meetin' Mack down thattaway anyhow. I say we jus' go." Fatso nodded his agreement and the three stooges set off in the opposite direction that Beth and Daryl had been traveling.

Beth and Daryl sat silently and watched as the three torches, bobbed off into the darkness and faded into tiny dots until they merged with the others. They sat until that group went even further away before Daryl finally relaxed a little. Beth let out a sigh and crawled back to where they had been sleeping, pulling Daryl with her.

"Will you feel safe sleeping?" She asked him softly. He shook his head and tried to pull her down onto his chest, she refused to budge. "What if I rigged an alarm over the trapdoor? I mean we already locked it." He stared at her for a long moment. "Please?" She almost begged. "You need to sleep, you look exhausted and I will not have you wandering all up and down the forest on no sleep." With that she stood up and grabbed their walker alarm out of Daryl's pack. Then she carefully rigged it over the door. Then she opened the side window a little bit, so that they could hear what was going on below them a little more clearly. "There, now please, please Daryl, sleep." She begged. She sat beside him and gently pulled at him until his head was cradled in her lap. She gently carded her fingers through his hair and she began to hum softly. Daryl closed his eyes and felt a modicum of peace descend upon him. Of course he was still extremely concerned about the conversation they overheard that night, he now knew what would happen to Beth if those men ever did find them, but with Beths' hands on him he found himself helpless against the tide of unconsciousness that whisked him away.

* * *

A/N: So that was chapter three! To clarify, beth and Daryl are in one of those train lookout thingys, the ones with the controls to change the tracks? I know nothing about them, so I just used creative licence to make something up. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Our OTP will be facing some serious challenges in the next few chapters, but I promise it will all be worth it. Review please and let me know what you liked and what you hated! Thank you!

Love and Guts,

Baelz.


	4. Crossable pt 1

**A/N: Thank you for reading my story! I am so glad that people are enjoying reading it as much as I am enjoying writing it. I hope ya'll just love this chapter in which secrets are shared and old wounds are healed. This chapter is a double pov, so it will switch back and forth like the first chapter! Its also a rather long chapter...sorry bout that:) Also please ignore any errors, its been a long few days, and I have looked at these words so long my eyes are crossing!**

* * *

Beth woke up to the sunlight creeping across her skin. Daryl was for a rare moment, peacefully asleep beside her, one arm under her head and the other draped over her hip. She nuzzled her nose into the hollow of his throat and inhaled. He smelled of sweat, blood, and walker guts. She wrinkled her nose and smiled at the thought of all the romance novels that lined her shelves at home, where the heroes smelled of heroic deeds, chivalry, and roses. Unfortunately, in the world she currently lived in, her hero smelled less rosy and more like dead animals. She quickly decided that she rather liked his malodorous scent, besides, it wasn't as if she smelled much better herself. She couldn't remember the last time she had a proper bath, or washed her hair, or even ran a comb through it.

After this realization she felt Daryl stir around her, his arms tightening and squeezing her closer as he buried his face in her hair and breathed her in She closed her eyes content to rest in his embrace as long as she could. He moved to release her and she gripped his shirt in her fingers.

"Goodmornin'" she murmured, the word muffled and jumbled in that delicious hollow of his throat. She tilted her head back to see his smile and to feel his lips brush along her brow.

"Gumomin" He mocked sweetly, making up a new word. She stared at him for a long moment, enjoying the way the morning sun lit his blue eyes, and fell across his face. Then she reluctantly sat up and stretched her body, wincing at the soreness of every muscle she possessed. She winked at him over her shoulder, shamelessly appreciating how the muscles in his arms rippled as he stretched them out.

"How about pancakes for breakfast today, deah?" She joked in an affected accent, "Some eggs and bacon too?"

"Now you know Ah'm partial to spaghetti-o's for breakfast woman, why do Ah have to keep reminding you?" He joked back in and equally goofy accent. Beth giggled and stood to retrieve a new can of spaghetti-o's and their spoons from the night before. After cracking open the can she plopped down beside him and handed him a spoon. She didn't know which spoon belonged to who, but she figured that since he had kissed her it probably wouldn't be that big a deal to eat after him. As she stretched her legs out next to his, she hooked a foot over one of his feet. She handed him the can and relaxed, enjoying the first truly peaceful morning she had had since the prison fell.

* * *

Daryl could spend every night wrapped around Beth, and wake up with her in his arms every morning and never find it boring. Her hair glowed like a halo in the morning sun, and even the dirt, blood, and other questionable things smeared across her face and clothes didn't detract from her beauty.

He savored their little game of footsie as they ate their breakfast of the nastiest canned food he had ever come across, and would have been content to stay their forever, never leaving their little bubble for the rest of their lives.

He felt truly comfortable beside her, relaxed in a way he had never been able to relax before. She knocked her spoon against his.

"What is our plan for today?" She asked him around a mouthful of The-Canned-Abomination-Which-Shall-Not-Be-Named. He thought for a moment.

"I dunno," He replied, "I wanna get as far away from that group as possible, so I guess we should just go in that other direction."

"What about the others?" She asked, lowering her spoon and staring pensively at the floor. He reached up and tugged the end of the braid in her ponytail.

"We will find someone, the best thing to do is to stay safe ourselves." She nodded. They were quiet for a few more minutes, finishing their meager breakfast.

"Daryl?"

"Hmmm?"

"There is a stream nearby right?"

"Yeah."

"Can we please find it?" She laughed a little, "I am repulsive, I desperately need a wash." He kissed her on the cheek and then her temple.

"I don't think you are repulsive." She looked at him skeptically. "But you could use a bit of a bath." She gasped in fake outrage and popped him on the shoulder. Daryl smiled as they squabbled about who smelled worse. Oh yes, he could get used to this.

* * *

It was early evening as they trudged through the forest on sore feet. Beth was a little sad to leave their tower, she had felt secure there, confident that the walkers couldn't get to her.

The men were a different story, but she decided they were too stupid to actually figure it out anyways. She tried to make light of the terrifying situation she had been in, by belittling the men and joking about killing them. But in her heart, she was terrified. She was afraid that the other men would find them, she felt guilty about killing Toothless. These thoughts plagued her steps and prevented her from fully enjoying her new-found companionship with Daryl.

She knew that Daryl could tell that something was wrong, but he didn't know how to help her, so he tried to distract her instead. He showed her raccoon tracks, and pointed out how the stems of ground plants bent under different weights. She smiled and nodded, happy to pretend. She was listening to him talk about how bucks rubbed their antlers against trees when she saw a flash of red. She stiffened and squinted in the direction it came from. The red color bobbed into sight again from behind a tree a hundred yards away.

Beth tapped Daryl on the shoulder, and when he saw her face he quickly prepared his crossbow. She pointed to where she saw the figure disappear, and they stood silently for a moment. Daryl opened his mouth to speak and at that moment the figure threw itself at them.

* * *

Daryl shoved Beth out of the way and used his crossbow as a shield. The walker clawed at him snarling. He struggled against it, and threw it away from him. It came at him again with a startling ferocity. He had no time to shoot his crossbow or even to pull out his knife. It snapped at his face, and Daryl fell hard onto the ground. It jumped on top of him, growling. He cried out, and fought to keep its mouth away from him. He was using his entire strength to hold the walker off, but it was drawing closer and closer. He hooked his thumbs in its eyes and yelled in desperation.

All of the sudden it went limp against him, and he felt wetness against his face. He pushed the body off of him and sat up, looking around for Beth. She stood over him, her bloody knife in her hand. She dropped the knife and threw her arms around his neck.

"Did she get you? Are you okay? Daryl!?" She sat back on her heels and began to pat him all over, trying to find wounds that she couldn't see. He grabbed her hands and pushed them away, but not releasing them.

"I'm alright," He assured her, "Are there more?"

"No." She said, choking on tears.

"Okay," he said calmly "Are you hurt?" She shook her head and sniffled. He stood and pulled her up, and then wrapped his arms around her. He rubbed her back awkwardly. She reluctantly pulled away from him and looked over at the walker on the ground.

"Why did it move so fast? How was it so strong?" She asked in a rush. "I don't understand!" Daryl shook his head silently and considered the body on the ground. He frowned and used his foot to push the walker over onto its stomach. The walker had a red knapsack on. Daryl carefully used his knife to cut it off, and then he opened it and glanced inside. He grinned and looked up at Beth, dumping the contents onto the ground in front of her.

* * *

Beth gasped as the contents of the red knapsack fell onto the forest floor.

"Woohoo!" She whooped gleefully, she leaned down and picked up a fairly substantial bar of soap. "I can finally wash this blood out of my hair! I'll be almost be human again!" Daryl smiled at her, and together they sifted through the rest of the contents of the bag. They found three tank tops and a T-shirt that looked like they would fit Daryl, half a box of smashed granola bars, a warped bottle of water, matches, and a wrinkled, water damaged copy of _Anne of Green Gables. _Beth opened the cover of the book and found a message written in faded blue ink.

'_Annie-girl, Here is a reminder of happier times, be brave like this Anne you were named after. I know that you will complete your mission, and soon I will see you safely in Terminus. Be careful out there! All my love, Dad'._

Beth's mouth twisted with sympathy for this childless father, and heartbreak over the loss of her own father. She blinked tears from her eyes and Daryl reached over her shoulder and plucked the book from her fingers. He added it to his pack with the other items.

"C'mon, there is a stream just there." He pointed behind her and she turned and looked seeing nothing but green.

"Where? How do you know?" she asked. He looked at her quizzically.

"Can't you hear it?" He asked. She shook her head. "Well I guess you'll have to learn to listen better." He helped her to her feet and drew her in the direction of the sound only he could hear.

* * *

The moment Beth saw the stream, it was all she could do to not jump right it. Instead she convinced Daryl to let them stop and set up for the night early and helped Daryl secure the area, and then she practically attacked him to get into his bag. He laughingly fought her off, and then with exaggerated slowness he opened the bag and removed the soap. When he turned around Beth was standing in front of him, clothed only in her underwear. She held out her hand and he wordlessly placed the soap in her outstretched palm, cheeks reddening but refusing to take his eyes off of her. She smiled at him cheekily and whirled around, prancing directly into the stream.

She was secretly pleased with his reaction, and even the cool water of the stream didn't chill her heated skin. She waded in until it the water was level with her chest and dipped her head under the water. She lathered the soap up in her palms, and rubbed it carefully through her hair. She focused on getting all of the blood and dirt out, desperate to clean the scent of desperation and loss from her body.

She dipped her head under again to rinse, and was pleased to find her hair returning to its cool blonde color. She scrubbed the soap over her arms and chest, down over her stomach, and all over her legs. She relaxed in the cool water and glanced to where Daryl was moving along the shore, setting up camp for the night. She watched him silently for a full minute before he caught her. She smiled demurely and waded back to the shore.

He wordlessly handed her one of the blankets to wrap up in and she handed him the soap. He looked at her apprehensively and she turned toward their packs, digging through to find a comb. She found one quickly but continued her search until she heard the splashing that signaled his ascent into the stream. She settled near the fire that he already had blazing, and ran the comb through her hair. The blanket was scratchy on her bare skin, but she didn't care. She turned to ask him a question, but was silenced by the sight of him about waist deep in the water, his back to her.

He had scars.

Everywhere.

She knew that he had some scars, she had seen a few on the backs of his shoulders but this, this was worse than she had ever expected. Without realizing what she was doing she stood and stepped out of her blanket. She stepped into the water.

* * *

Daryl heard her gasp from behind him and it was all he could do not to flinch at the sound of it. The last thing he wanted was for her to pity him, so he waded deeper into the water and began scrubbing the last few days off his skin with a fervor. All was quiet, and in his embarrassment he never raised his head to look at her, barely registering the splashing sounds until he felt a small hand gently touch his elbow. He flinched away from the unexpected contact and turned around.

She stood before him clad once again in only her undergarments. He reluctantly looked into her eyes and instead of seeing pity or sadness. He saw anger.

"Who did that to you?" She asked breathlessly. He looked away, and waded deeper into the water to rinse himself off. She followed him, and asked again.

"Daryl. Who-" He turned on her, towering above her in the most intimidating manner he could muster.

"Leave it, Beth!" He growled. "It ain't like it matters no more." She put her hand against his chest, unimpressed with his attempt to scare her. She forced him to look into her eyes. He hated this. He hated how vulnerable he felt in this moment. He was unaccustomed, even now, to the kindness in her eyes.

"Yes, it does." She murmured soothingly. His gaze burned into her and she unflinchingly touched his face, standing her ground when he bucked back slightly like a startled horse. After a long tense moment, he let out his breath and all of the strain left his body, and he rested his cheek in the palm of her hand. She closed the distance between them, and wrapped her arms around his neck. His arms wrapped around her waist, and he crushed her to him. He rested his cheek on the top of her head and allowed himself to relax against her.

He decided in that moment, that he would allow her to tear down his walls, and that he would help her.

* * *

They stood there like that for a minute or two more, and Beth just melted in his embrace. She rested her face against his chest and breathed him in. She smiled and thought about how he smelled much better than he had that morning. At that moment he took a deep breath and spoke.

"It was my pa, and my mom. My uncle did other things." She closed her eyes to ward off the tears that were threatening she was heartbroken that he had to live through that kind of abuse. She couldn't imagine the kind of things he kept inside. She grew angrier and angrier as he talked, not at him but at he way he had been treated. If she had not know that the people who did these things to him were dead, she would have tracked them down and killed them herself. She held him close and promised herself that she would never let anyone do anything like that to him ever again. Not while she had breath in her. He was hers now.

* * *

Daryl felt a peace overwhelm him as he told Beth the things that he had never told anyone. They stood in that water for a long time, and when he finally finished speaking, she held him still. Finally she let him go and stood on her tip toes to press a chaste kiss to his lips.

"Now you finish getting cleaned up. I am going to fix us something to eat." She said, and then she turned around, and made her way back to shore.

As Daryl washed days worth of dust blood and grime from his hair and body he mentally washed years of abuse and fear from his heart. He wanted to be close to Beth in a way he had never been close to a person. He promised himself, and her, that he would never leave her side. She was his now.

* * *

**A/N: Man alive that chapter was long. So long in fact that this is only half of it. I decided to cut the full chapter in half! So while this chapter was very fluffy, with a little bit of drama at the beginning, the next will be mostly the same, but reversed, and much worse! Prepare yourself! Review Review Review and I will see ya'll soon!**

**Baelz.**


	5. Crossable pt 2

**A/n: I am so sorry that it took so long for me to get this chapter up! I am a Nursing student and I am taking summer classes so life is a little cray! Anyways I hope you enjoy this chapter! I am playing with how to create intimacy between my characters without it getting to steamy, so I think its interesting. Anyways, I look forward to hearing what you think!**

* * *

Daryl and Beth were finally clean. It was such bliss after the past few days of feeling grimy and smelling worse than the walkers. Daryl stoked the fire, and prepared the meat of a squirrel he had shot just a few minutes before. Beth sat with her back to the fire, drying her hair with its heat. She was close enough to the stream that she could dip the tips of her toes into the water. She could hear Daryl moving around behind her, and she couldn't help but let out a sigh of complete contentment.

"How are you feeling?" Daryl asked. She turned to look at him and saw him settling against the trunk of a tree that was growing halfway in and halfway out of the water. He had his knife in one hand, and a rock in the other. The squirrel he had caught was roasting over the fire and the setting sun cast golden shadows across his forehead. She smiled.

"Oh, I feel almost human!" She said, planting her palms on the ground behind her and arching her back to stretch out the knots in her spine. Daryl began to sharpen his knife on the rock.

"Almost?" He asked. Beth laughed softly.

"Yeah," She pulled her feet from the water and moved to sit beside him, she pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. "almost." He raised an eyebrow. Beth rested her chin on her knees. "Okay, I'll tell you why but its really stupid." Daryl smiled at her and made a motion for her to continue. "Maggie got to do everything before me. She got to wear makeup first, and go on dates first, shave her legs, that kind of thing. Well I decided that I wanted to do all that too, so when I was thirteen I took a bunch of her makeup and her razors and then made a huge mess out of my face, and I cut my legs up so bad! But after that, I made it a point to shave my legs every single day. And then the world went crazy, and then when I was sad, Maggie took all of my sharp things away..."

"Didn't stop you." Daryl interrupted. He immediately looked sorry, and Beth grinned.

"No, but I did stop." He inclined his head to her and she continued. "Anyways, obviously when you are on the run from walkers, shaving your legs isn't top priority, but I wish I could, because then I think I would feel me again, if that makes sense." She glanced down at the fire and then met his eyes again. "I told you it was stupid."

"Naw," he replied, "little things make people different. Like Carl and that hat." Beth laughed out loud and turned back to the fire.

* * *

Daryl watched the firelight dance in Beth's eyes. He was surprised that she had told him all that she had. It was a little weird but he understood where she was coming from. He had honestly never even noticed that her legs weren't perfectly hair free, but he figured that was because guys don't notice that stuff. At least he didnt.

He glanced back down at the knife he was sharpening and an idea started to form in his head.

* * *

"Beth?" Daryl said. She looked up from the fire and found his eyes again, his arm was outstretched towards her, and his knife rested in his open palm. She furrowed her brow confused. "Uhm," He glanced down and then back up, "I reckon this is about sharp enough to help you fix up your legs like you like too, if you want. I mean, It works when I shave" Beth grinned and leaned over to tug at the scruff on his chin.

"It obviously doesn't work too well!" She joked. He smiled back at her.

"That's because I haven't bothered for a while. C'mon." he urged. She shook her head, she was freaked out by the blade in his hand, worried that she would carve a hole in her leg if she attempted to do as he suggested.

"I'll just cut myself up, really, its okay." She said, pushing his hand down. He was quiet for a moment, and then he stood. He walked across their camp to his pack and pulled something from a pocket, then he walked to the edge of the water. He plopped down on the shore and turned to her.

"C'mere." He motioned to her and she stood, walking quickly to him and sitting next to him. The sat silently for a moment before he unceremoniously pulled her left leg into his lap.

"Daryl," She squeaked, attempting to pull her leg back, "what are you doing?" Butterflies erupted in her stomach and she could feel her face heating up. She was only wearing her underwear and Daryl's cleanest t-shirt because her own clothes were still drying after she washed them earlier. She shifted nervously and looked anywhere but at his face. He didn't respond. He scooped up a handful of water and flicked it over her leg. Then he lathered the soap he had apparently retrieved from his pack on her skin. Objections rose in her throat as she realized what he was doing and she tried again in earnest to pull her leg away. Her whole body flushed with embarrassment. "Daryl, stop."

* * *

He ignored her mumbled protest and concentrated on the task at hand. He could feel her skin heating under his fingers and though he could not see her face he imagined it was red. He kept a tight grip on her ankle with his left hand, and with the right he gently began to draw the newly sharpened blade of his knife up her calf. She jerked and he lifted the blade from her skin so he wouldn't cut her. He finally turned to look her in the face.

"Beth, let me do this." He said simply. She stared at a spot on the shore and refused to look at him, gently jerking her leg away. "Beth." He said, his voice soft, refusing to release her ankle. She lifted only her eyes to meet his, "Let me do this." Beth lifted her chin and studied him.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because I want to." He replied simply, and then he looked down, and began to gently run the blade along the curve of her leg again. He felt heat rising under his skin as his fingers and knife ran over the pale skin of her leg. He had never been close to another person this way, and that she trusted him enough to let him this close to her soft skin with his knife resonated in his heart. He felt more than heard her breathing hitch as the cold blade ran along the underside of her knee. They breathed together and he finished with that leg, using handfuls of water to rinse it and the blade of his knife.

She shifted so that she could place her right leg in his lap, and after a little bit of adjusting she sat with her right leg in his lap, and her left wrapped loosely around his back. Her chin was level with his right shoulder, and after a few moments of him rhythmically drawing the blade up her right leg she rested her forehead against his shoulder. One hand she slid across the base of his back, and up, feeling the lines and ridges of his scars beneath his shirt. He had to fight the urge to stiffen and push her away, instead, focusing more on squinting at her leg in the growing darkness.

* * *

Beth had relaxed. She trusted him, and even though it was awkward at first, she felt a warmth rushing through her body at his sweet gesture. The moment felt strangely intimate as he ran a sharp blade up her leg and over her knee and she stroked his back, tracing the scars that were hidden beneath his t shirt. She inhaled his scent, much better than it had been before, and closed her eyes. Finally she felt him slosh water over her leg and then dry it gently with a length of cloth. She wrapped her arms loosely around him and hugged him.

"Thank you." She murmured against his shoulder. She felt his hands circle her hips and was surprised as he pulled her to the side and fully into his lap. Now she was sitting, facing him with her legs wrapped around his waist. They stared at each other for a moment. Beth could feel her heart pounding and the butterflies in her stomach began to flutter around again. She felt his large warm hands run up her back and his fingers tangled in her damp hair. He tilted her head up and her eyes fluttered shut as his warm mouth found hers.

* * *

Daryl surprised himself when he kissed her, but no too much because he had wanted to do just that all day. He felt her tiny arms wrap around his neck and pull him closer. Their torsos were pressed together, and not a breath of air could pass between them. He loved how she felt pressed against him, and before he could reign in his traitorous mind he found himself wondering how it would feel to have her soft pale skin pressed against his, with nothing to separate them. He pulled away from her gently and ran his lips down her cheek and along the curve of her jaw. He could hear her quick breathing, and realized it matched pace with his. He felt a sharp pull in the center of his body, and groaned softly as he returned his lips to hers.

Then he pulled away completely, realizing that if he didn't, he might not be able to keep hold on the shred of control he still had over the situation. She pouted up at him for a moment, but smiled broadly at him and surprised him by seizing his face in her small hands and placing a gentle kiss on the tip of his nose. Then she untangled herself from his limbs, and stood. She looked down and gently ran her fingers through his hair and down his cheek before she made her way back into the light of the fire.

* * *

The darkness was complete now, and Beth felt dizzy as she stepped back into the light of the fire. She pulled their blankets from her pack and began to make them a pallet among the roots of the tree. She felt him join her, not needing to see him to know that he was there. She knew that she was smiling, but she saw no reason to stop.

She had had a few boyfriends in her time. But never had she had a more intimate experience than the one she just experienced. She found herself wishing she could stay wrapped in his arms for the rest of her life. She had felt how aroused he was as he kissed her, and though she felt the same way, she was glad that he stopped them before things went too far. She fully intended to give herself to him completely, but she didn't really want that event to take place on a rocky stream shore in the middle of nowhere.

Her skin felt softer, and she felt more normal now that her legs weren't covered in what felt like a pelt of white blonde hairs. She knew the perfectly smooth effect wouldn't last or long but she didn't much care. She knew that she would cherish the memory more than anything else. She turned around and found him fixing their dinner. He held up the forgotten squirrel skewers and grinned at her.

"They are gonna be a little extra crispy." He joked as he handed her her food. She laughed and settled against the tree trunk and began to dig in. He settled next to her and they silently watched the fire and ate, enjoying the quiet and each other.

* * *

Beth eventually fell asleep tucked into Daryl's side. He rested his head against the trunk of the tree and stayed awake long into the night, silently guarding the most important part of his life. He had enjoyed and needed their peaceful day beside the stream, but he was not foolish enough to assume that it would last. The fire crackle down to embers, and Daryl felt his eyelids growing heavy. He pressed his nose into Beth's hair and she snuggled closer to his chest. He was so wrapped up in her scent and her warmth that he almost didn't hear the barking in the distance. When he did he stiffened and his eyes searched the darkness around them for any glimpse of anything out of the ordinary. His hand reached out and found his crossbow. If anyone or anything threatened them, he would be ready, and they would die. He stayed awake, a silent observer of the forest going-ons, until the sun made the sky pink, and Beth woke up and forced him to sleep.

* * *

**A/N: Soo yeah, there is that chapter, what did you think? I seriously need ya'll to review the junk out of this chapter, so that I know what ya'll are thinking! Thank you in advance, I cant wait to hear what you have to say even if you hated it a lot:) **

**Love and guts,**

**Baelz.**


	6. Crossbones

**A/N: Okay, thank you for all of your encouragement from the last chapter! I hope that this next chapter lives up to your expectations! Things have been pretty good for our little babies, but unfortunately, that will change very very soon. Sorry not sorry for ruining the bubble of joy:))**

* * *

When Daryl finally woke up the sun was shining high overhead. He bit back a curse as he sat up and ran a hand through his hair.

"Good morning sleepy head!" Beth sang from the other side of the fire. Daryl squinted at her, eyes still adjusting to the brightness of the day. As his eyes cleared he realized that she had packed everything except the blanket he was wrapped in. He stood and folded the blanket, rolling it up and stuffing it in a pack next to her. The day was hot so he changed into his coolest shirt and his vest. He tried to ignore the fact that Beth studied him unashamedly from her perch on a rock.

"Why dinn't you wake me up?" He asked.

"Daryl, you needed to sleep! I know you stayed up all night, don't even try to deny it." He opened his mouth to argue, but closed it as she shoved a leaf full of berries in his hand. "Now eat that, I boiled us some more water, and when you finish those berries you can have the rest of this can of Spaghetti-o's." Daryl resisted the urge to scrunch his nose and sat beside her to eat. She was combing her hair with her fingers and staring at the stream.

"Sleep okay?" He asked her between bites.

"Mhmm, I had a nice pillow." Daryl colored, and squinted off into the forest. He couldn't figure out when it happened, the moment when she became comfortable enough to tell him exactly what she thought. He knew that she did that with Maggie and Glenn, but he reckoned that she had never really spoken straight to him until they came to be on their own. He knew it was a really screwed up thing to be grateful for everything that happened. But in some twisted way he was. He was thankful that the end of the world as he had known it had come to an end and swept away his old life. He was grateful that he had come upon this starry-eyed group of idiots that he had grown to care for. He was thankful that he had the chance to spend time with this girl beside him, the girl who had changed his outlook on everything.

Of course he would do anything to find his kooky family and he would search for them until he found them. He knew that Beth would agree. But he would trade nothing for the time he was getting to spend with her. He looked at her again, and found her studying him. He was tempted to look away from her sharp gaze, but he resisted, instead meeting her eyes and then studying her face as intently as she was his.

Her eyes were clear and blue, he could see himself in them. Her skin was smooth, and colored bright pink by the unforgiving sun. She had dirt on her cheek, probably smeared there during her mid-morning search for berries. Her hair was white blonde, frizzing out around her head like a halo. He could see the kindness in the center of her eye. And her affection for him in the quirk at the corner of her mouth. He found himself unable to tear his eyes away from her mouth, and before he realized what he was doing he leaned forward and pressed his lips to the corner of her mouth that he had been studying so intently the moment before. He felt her smile against his lips as she kissed him back.

Though it was a short kiss, when he pulled away he felt his breath catch in his throat. He swallowed hard, and then used his thumb to rub away the soil marring her cheek.

He didn't know what they were now, he didn't know what the kissing meant to her, or what word they could use to define what they meant to each other.

But he would keep kissing her. And she would never stop being important to him. That was all he had, but it was enough for him.

* * *

Beth loved watching him sleep. His face was relaxed and untroubled. His hair flopped in his eyes, but he didn't even move when she softly brushed it back, wishing she had some scissors so that she could cut it for him.

She loathed to leave him and trek back to the bush with the raspberries she saw the day before, so she rushed and tripped and dropped most of the berries she had collected.

When the sun was high overhead he woke up she had the camp packed up so that they could leave as soon as he wanted, even though she didn't know where he was planning on going, she would follow him anywhere.

She was still smiling about the events of the previous evening, reliving the feeling of his mouth on hers, and the way his beard scratched her face. His warm hands on her back, and tangling in her hair. His heart beating rapidly underneath her palm, racing with hers.

She watched him as he ate his breakfast. Noting how he crinkled his nose with every bite. He hated Spaghetti-o's, she knew. And she wished they had something other than that in their bags. He turned and caught her watching, so she took the opportunity to analyze his face when it was wide awake.

His eyes were an electric kind of blue, and were currently roving over face, filling her with heat. He had wrinkles around his eyes, eyes that had seen too many ugly things. She wished she could lie to herself and claim they were laugh lines, but she knew they weren't. He had a furrow between his brows and she wanted to smooth it away with her thumb. She realized that his face was only without it when he was laughing, so she resolved to make him laugh forever. His mouth was perfect.

The moment her focus shifted to his mouth she realized that it was lowering to hers. He kissed the corner of her mouth, and she smiled at the sweetness of the gesture before she turned her face to fully return his kiss. When he pulled away she felt her heart squeeze in her chest at the look on his face. He lifted a hand and rubbed his thumb across her cheek.

She melted and wished she could wrap her arms around him ans stay that way forever. She stayed trapped in her imagination until his face shifted, becoming alert and anxious.

She glanced around, and that's when she heard it.

A dog was barking.

And it was close.

* * *

Daryl heard the barking, and realized what it meant almost immediately. He jumped up, pulling Beth with him. They had no time to put the fire out, so he settled for kicking dirt on it as he grabbed his pack and tossed Beth hers.

He dragged her from the campsite in the opposite direction of the barking. He knew that he was crushing her hand in his, but he was unwilling to let her go. His hunters eyes searched their surroundings for danger, and he tried to listened beyond their hurried steps and frantic breathing. If these men got Beth...if they _hurt_ her...if they-

No.

He refused to allow himself to even entertain the possibility that briefly ran across his mind. He would die before he let them get to her. He saw movement to their left, so he veered to the right, causing Beth to stumble over some foliage. He kept her upright, pulling her with him, refusing to let go of her hand. He was not going to let go. Even when they were safe, he decided, he would not relinquish her hand.

* * *

Beth struggled to keep up with Daryl, his hand held hers like a vice, dragging her through the forest. Her head whipped from side to side, frantically hoping not to see anything but trees and bushes. They were stupid to believe that they were safe. She swore to herself that she wouldn't make that mistake again.

Somehow Daryl managed to keep hold of his crossbow, she could see it swinging back and forth in his hand as he aimed it around them. There was already a bolt loaded and ready for a target. His face looked grim and determined, but she saw a flash of pure fear when the dog barked again and it it was closer. Daryl veered to the right suddenly, and Beth nearly fell as her feet caught in the branches of a low bush. He kept her from falling and jerked her along behind him. She knew he would never let her fall.

Suddenly Daryl stopped and Beth slammed into his back, only his hand gripping hers kept her from falling on her backside. He pulled her hand behind his back in an attempt to keep her from what was in front of them. She heard a low laugh and peeked around his shoulder.

* * *

Shit.

That was the only thought that ran through Daryl's mind as he found himself suddenly confronted by six men, standing in a half circle. He felt Beth slam into his back, and he pulled her hand across his back, trying to keep her out of their line of sight. He raised his crossbow and sighted the one in the middle, the man simply laughed. A dog ran past him, and he pushed Beth against the tree immediately beside them and pressed his back against her front, just as two more men appeared from behind where they had been standing.

Daryl swung his bow side to side, his heart beating out of control as he realized that he was about to fight a losing battle. But he would fight.

* * *

Beth tried to catch her breath after Daryl slammed her against a tree. She had imagined their bodies pressed together against a tree before, but never once did she think that this would be the circumstances under which that happened.

She could see the men now, all six, no make that eight as another two walked from the trees to their left. Her heart was pounding against her chest and she wondered idly if Daryl could feel it. Daryl was turning from one side to the other, and Beth knew that he was going to try and fight their way out, and she knew that he would lose.

She knew how strong he was, and how capable of survival. But he had six bolts in his crossbow, and these men had guns. She wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed him hard.

"Don't." She begged quietly, her lips against the skin of his shoulder.

* * *

"Don't." He heard her beg quietly as her arms tightened around his middle. "Please, don't."

His heart sank to his shoes, but he kept his aim without wavering.

"Listen to her." said the man in the middle. "Don't try to fight us." Daryl looked at the other men and he identified Fatso and Bumblebrains behind the guy in charge. And he realized that Shithead was one of the two men that came from behind them.

"What do you want?" he asked. He already knew.

"That girl is mine. I just want her, so give her here and we will let you." Daryl gritted his teeth. He felt Beth's arms tighten, and she buried her face in his shoulder.

"I think you are mistaken." He said simply,"So just let us go, and you can find whoever it is you are lookin' for."

"No, that is my girl, Annie, come here baby, it's alright. He cant hurt you no more." The man held his hand out imploringly. Daryl narrowed his eyes in confusion, and he felt Beth lift her face from his shoulder. The man grinned widely. "There ya go baby, come back to me."

* * *

First Beth was surprised. The man was obviously mistaken. She lifted her face from where it was pressed against Daryl's shoulder.

"There ya go baby, come back to me." The man beckoned her with his hand, grinning madly. She surprised herself when she suddenly spoke.

"My name is not Annie, you have it all wrong. This is just a big mistake." She wiggled out from behind Daryl. His free hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her in front of him, hugging her close as he half turned to push her back into the tree. She turned to face the crazy man as best she could and smiled sweetly. "See? Not the same person at all! My name is-"

"Annie. Stop playing." The man's smile was gone. Beth realized that he was going to be difficult. His eyes were wide and eerily focused on her face. She swallowed hard and pressed against Daryl. "No really, I am not Annie, my name is-" She stopped, unwilling to give him her real name. "Maggie. My name is Maggie and this is my-" She trailed off again but luckily Daryl jumped in quickly enough that her hesitation went unnoticed.

"Husband, I'm her husband, er- Glenn." Beth glanced up at him, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. She swallowed her smile and turned back to Crazy-Eyes. He looked angry, his face reddening. The men behind him shifted side to side, some uncomfortable, some ready for a fight. Beth's heart sank, it wasn't going to matter what they said or did. Crazy-Eyes was going to insist that she was Annie. And she could do nothing to change his mind.

* * *

Daryl fought the hysterical laughter bubbling within him. He understood Beth's reluctance to use her real name, and he followed her lead. He held her tightly and watched the storm brewing on the leaders face. The man had his eyes fixed on Beth's face, wide and and focused like a snake watching it's prey. The laughter faded and he swallowed hard, watching for his next move.

"Enough. Games." Said Crazy-Eyes slowly. "Annie. Get away from that man. You are safe now, you don't have to pretend." Beth was shaking her head slowly, pressing against Daryl as hard as she could. "ANNIE!" Crazy-Eyes yelled. "NOW."

"Just go." Said one of the men in the posse of six. "Don't push him." Daryl's eyes flicked to the new voice, the man it belonged to stood a little away from the other men, he had short blonde dreadlocks that were pulled back in a ponytail. His arms were crossed and he was leaning against a tree. He looked back at Crazy-Eyes who was still entirely focused on Beth.

What could they do? How could he get her out of this? He fought his panic as he realized that he had no idea.

* * *

Oliver watched the crossbowman as he struggled to find a way to escape. The crossbowman had an arm around the new Annie, holding her against the front of his body. Oliver had no doubt in his mind that these people were...attached. He also knew they had no idea what they were in for.

It was the girl's fault. Her long white-blonde hair marked her as Annie. Even though she wasn't Annie, any girl who had that feature would be. And She would be Annie, until she died, or she did something to cause Mack to realize that she was not, in fact, his dead wife.

Oliver loathed this aspect of his life. But this group provided him with safety, and food for himself and his younger brother, and in return, he helped provide Mack with an Annie.

Mack's actual wife died ten months ago, she had been bitten by a walker. Mack couldn't cope with her death, and immediately replaced her with her twin sister, Allison. Allie killed herself when she realized what Mack was doing, choosing death, desperate to be with her sister again. They met up with another group, and there was a girl in the group with long white blonde hair. Mack started calling her Annie, and ended up killing her husband and older brother before taking her for his wife.

She refused his advances and eventually he realized she wasn't Annie, killed her, and the cycle began again.

The men would find a girl with long white blonde hair. They would take her by force, killing anyone who fought back and bring her to Mack. After the Annie failed to convince Mack, which they always did, Mack would give her to his men, who would promptly rape her to death.

Oliver gritted his teeth against a sharp rush of sympathy for the new Annie, she looked so fragile, and she was with a man who obviously loved her, who kept her safe.

He had watched them together the night before. He had found them when it was his turn to search. He watched the man as he carefully shaved her legs with his knife, and he watched their embrace. He watched as they went to bed among the roots of a tree, and he watched the man keep watch over her.

He tried to point his group in another direction, but the damned dog betrayed his lie.

Now he could do nothing for them.

If the girl refused to go to Mack he would take her by force, and the man would die immediately. But if the girl would go to Mack without a fight, Oliver might have a chance of keeping the other men from killing the crossbowman.

And if he could keep the crossbowman alive, he had no doubt that the crossbowman would come for her.

And if he came for her then Oliver might be able to get himself and his little brother away from this group. Mack began yelling, and Oliver watched the girl shrink back, shaking her head.

"Just go." He affected a bored tone and leaned against a tree, feigning nonchalance. "Don't push him."

He would help them, and they would save him.

* * *

**DUH DUH DUHHHHHHHHHHHH! I love a good cliff hanger...and it is pretty cliff hangery right? Please love on my chapter by reviewing a lot. That encourages me to write faster:) The faster I write, teh sooner you get the next chapter, sound like a plan? Can't wait to hear what you have to say!**

**Love and Guts,**

**Baelz. **


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